On the Go – April 21, 2022

Industry News – Click on the title to read the full article. Many of the sources below require a free registration to gain access to the article. If a paid registration is required, the individual source will be noted.

Airlines

United CEO Reports Record Increase in Travel Demand (Source: CNBC)
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is preparing for a blockbuster summer travel season as future bookings reveal significant increased demand for travel. “I’ve never seen in my career, and I’ve been in this industry a long time … such a hockey stick increase of demand,” Kirby said.

Sun Country Eliminates Seasonal Routes, Citing High Fuel Costs (Source: Travel Weekly)
Sun Country Airlines has eliminated planned summer routes to Hawaii and Alaska, citing high fuel costs on those longhaul services. “Bookings are strong for summer travel, and we know our customers are eager to vacation,” the carrier said in a statement. “After experiencing extremely high demand in the first quarter of the year, Sun Country is adjusting our summer flying schedule to ensure that we are providing a reliable product and to align our flying with current high fuel prices.”

Delta Examines Starlink’s Satellite Internet (Source: The Wall Street Journal)
Delta Air Lines has tested Starlink broadband internet, Delta CEO Ed Bastian confirmed. Starlink, which is SpaceX’s broadband unit, has launched new satellites and is working on getting its technology certified for use on Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

United Makes Basic Economy Tickets More Flexible (Source: The Points Guy)
United Airlines announced that passengers may now receive a partial refund when they cancel basic economy tickets. The airline also offers the option to upgrade the fare to a regular economy ticket that allows changes.

United Again Extends Validity of Unused Tickets (Source: Travel Weekly)
United Airlines has again extended ticket validity for all wholly unused tickets purchased since May 2019. Under the new policy, unused tickets purchased between May 2019 and the end of this year will be valid through the end of 2023. Tickets purchased on or after Jan. 1 of next year will be valid for 12 months from the issue date.

General Interest

Federal Transportation Mask Mandate No Longer in Effect (Source: Reuters)
The Biden administration announced that the federal transportation mask mandate will no longer be enforced following the ruling of a federal judge in Florida on Monday. Major US airlines including Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest and United have directly informed travelers that masks are not required onboard their aircraft.

DOJ Will Appeal Ruling That Vacated Airline Mask Mandate (Source: Business Travel News)
The U.S. Department of Justice will mount an appeal of Monday’s ruling by a federal court in Florida that struck down the Biden Administration’s mandate that travelers inside airports and on planes, trains and public transportation must wear masks.

Airports

Chicago’s O’Hare Airport Preps For $8.5B Remodel (Source: CNN)
Now that O’Hare International Airport has completed its six-year, $6 billion renovation of its runway system, the airport and airline partners are now working on an $8.5 billion makeover that Chicago says will remodel the airport “from curb to gate.” Airport officials say reconfiguring the runways has reduced delays by 65%.

Maine Airport Shuts Down Runway For Rehabilitation (Source: WMTW-TV)
Portland International Jetport has closed its primary runway for 56 days for a $13.7M rehabilitation project. Flight patterns and schedules will change temporarily at the Maine airport to accommodate the work, which is needed every 15 years.

Mass. Port Authority Plans to Upgrade Boston Airport (Source: WBUR-FM)
About $1 billion of the three-year, $1.3 billion spending plan approved by the Massachusetts Port Authority board of directors will go to projects at Boston Logan International Airport, according to Massport Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs Director Luciana Burdi. However, runway work is planned at all three airports overseen by Massport, including Worcester Regional Airport and Hanscom Field.

Hotels

Hilton to Open 10 Lifestyle Properties by 2025 (Source: Business Travel News)
Hilton Worldwide has signed to add 10 new properties of lifestyle brands Canopy, Tempo and Motto in the U.S., Latin America and Europe, the company announced this week. In the U.S., Hilton plans to open in 2024 one Canopy and two Tempo properties in Nashville, along with a Canopy in Sioux Falls, S.D, Tempo properties in Memphis and Myrtle Beach, S.C. Hilton plans to open a Tempo hotel in San Diego in 2025.

Leisure Travel

The Most Popular Summer Travel Destinations for Americans This Year (Source: Travel + Leisure)
Travel insurance company Allianz looked at more than 1.1 million itineraries to find the leading American summer travel trends. Americans are in search of sunny destinations this summer. Travel insurance and assistance company Allianz Partners analyzed more than 1,175,000 summer flight itineraries between five and eight days in length and found that Orlando tops the list of domestic destinations for travelers this summer, while Cancun will be the most-visited international spot.